All Urban Outfield (1 Albums, 4 Tracks)

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ALL URBAN OUTFIELD is the brainchild of two Seattle-based rap mutants, p.WRECKS and K. Clifton. Both have a long history in the hip-hop scene around the Pacific Northwest, both as producers and emcees – All Urban Outfield finds the two working together to create a new vocabulary and aesthetic for underground hip-hop, inspired as much by the science fiction beatdowns of Kool Keith as the raw powerviolence of Spazz.

All Urban Outfield released CRYPTO independently in 2013. The album caught the attention of Black Lantern's Texture, who called it “a masterclass in abstract lyricism [with] a strong element of imminent collapse and urban decay running through the lyrical themes.”

p.WRECKS then signed to Black Lantern and released Invertebrate, Ammunition, Reflux, a scabrous and claustrophobic 20-track opus, the follow-up to his self-released album Luggage Checked To Nowhere. The duo also released a stunning single as Solid Gold Forest in 2013.

This is hip-hop that deals with isolation, psychedelic visions, imminent apocalypse. This is the sound of graffiti-covered basements ringing to bass-heavy MPC beats; of dusty beats on tape as you traverse the decaying urban sprawl. Two emcees holding the mic with confidence despite the world's ignorant turning towards Molly-addled peace and love bullshit, ultra-capitalist fever dreams and incipient species death.

K. Clifton's voice, deep and sonorous, provides a calm philosophical counterpoint to p.WRECKS, who rips verses from looseleaf and onto beats with a feral anger and intelligence. Deep magic, alternate timelines, poverty horrorshows and spiritual malfeasance are their subject matter. The lost art of trading intelligent verses over beats without hope of celebrity, free drugs or blowjobs is their method. Drawing on a tradition that nods to the best of Def Jux, Rhymesayers, Doomtree and Anticon, they make hip-hop for outsiders, freaks, and kids with their hoodies pulled low over their eyes.